Why Miniature Horses should NOT be used as Guide Animals for the Blind. In
fact, they are a DANGEROUS alternative to a Guide Dog.Article
#3:
This article was originally written in German,
and tranlated into English for us, for use on this site. The author of this story,
has approved the translation.
This article has been reprinted here with permission by it's author, Mr. Seitle.
Miniature Horse Resequin as
“Guide Horse”???
Background:
After we had heard news about guide horses from the USA and I couldn’t believe this
whole thing at first I wanted to find out myself whether these miniature horses are really
an alternative to guide dogs.
At first I tried with a miniature shetland
pony. After a short period of time it turned out that this pony lacked the necessary
strength of nerves. This pony was given to a friend.
Soon afterwards a family Peschel from Röhrmoos near Dachau got in touch with us. This
family was unknown to me/us at that time. They asked if I was willing to train an American
Miniature Horse to be a guide horse. After several talks I took over that task.
It had already been negotiated that I would do
this training for free, which I also agreed to.
At that time and also long after that Mr. and
Mrs. Peschel acted as if they wanted to serve the vision impaired people with that new
thing in Europe.
About a week after we talked Mr. Peschel brought the Miniature Horse to my place. She was
in extremely bad condition. She was only skin and bones, seemed depressed and didn’t
want to eat. All the veterinary efforts didn’t change anything about her condition.
She began to recover only after I brought her to my brother’s place in a horsebarn
with other horses.
When she was fully recovered, I started a test phase (such as behaviour towards strangers
and other animals, in road traffic, at stations and other places with more or less
different stimulations and influences of her environment). Resequin showed a safe
character in almost every situation. She showed a little insecurity with loud noises. I
put up with that since I thought it would improve in the course of the training through
permanent repetition and increased exposure.
After that I started training her just like I would have done with a guide dog. In the
essential elements this training was successful.
It was clear to me from the beginning that, in Germany, there would be problems and
restrictions in permitting horses to enter a grocery store and other similar businesses.
The Peschels placed a van at my disposal because a Miniature Horse can’t be
transported like a guide dog.
Resequin continued to have serious problems with climbing stairs. Even with the assistance
of other guide dog trainers and much practice, I was not able to overcome Resequin's fear
of stairs. I have only tried her on straight and easy stairs, we did not attempt spiral
stair cases at all. I personally believe that a horse is not made to climb bigger or more
difficult stairs. That’s where I left it.
Over time, loud noises became an even bigger problem. My hope that she would become
desensitized to loud noises with increased exposure, proved to be wrong. Resequin
continued to demonstrate a strong desire to run from them. I had to use all my strength to
hold her back when she heard very loud noises.
The time came when I had to tell Mr & Mrs Peschel that because of her behaviour, the
miniature horse could never be used as a Guide Horse. Mr Peschel was angry and accused me
of not being qualified to train a guide animal. It was time to end the training anyway.
I suggested that I would participate in the planned press release if I were allowed to
underline the differences between a guide horse and a guide dog, and if I were allowed to
tell about Resequin's very distinct flight instinct reaction when encountering loud
noises. The Peschels did not want to agree to my conditions.
This was when I first noticed that the
Peschels were really more interested in promoting the miniature horse as a breed,
than wanting to "do a good thing for the vision impaired". The Peschels had
started importing these horses from the USA and were now trying to sell them in Germany.
The "guide horse" Resequin obviously would be used as an advertisement for Mr
Peschel's horse business. Recognizing these facts, I told the Peschels that after
the press release I would no longer be associated with the project.
At the press conference it was my intention to discuss the considerable disadvantages of
using a horse as a guide animal, and to especially emphasize their natural flight
instincts and reactions. To my surprise and disappointment no one at the press conference
was interested in hearing anything negative about the guide horse. The journalists were
only interested in the sensationalized news of the First European Guide Horse.
After that disappointing press release, Mr. Peschl took Resequin with him and I have had
no further contact with them. I have no plans to train another Guide Horse..
So that is the story of how Maria Seitle (the guide dog school) and I became involved in
working with Resequin to train her to become the first German guide horse.
I want to emphasize that neither I nor the Seitle guide dog school received any
compensation for our work with Resequin or for our expenses.
Finally, I would like to list the significant and considerable disadvantages of using a
guide horse as compared to using a guide dog:
* A horse, even a miniature
horse, is a herd animal and should always live with at least one other horse. Moreover,
they should live in a pasture or paddock - not in a living room.
* A horse, even a miniature horse, is a flight animal. Resequin showed that
very distinctly. Because she personally has a strong and distinct flight instinct, it is
impossible to allow her be used as a guide horse (that is if you have a certain feeling of
responsibility for vision impaired people)! When a miniature horse gets in a situation
where it wants to flee, it becomes very strong (because of adrenalin). Even a very large
and very strong person will most likely not have enough strength to hold it back if it
really wants to run away.
* A horse, even a miniature horse, has significant problems with climbing
stairs. In my opinion, horses are not anatomically able to climb stairs. To demand that a
horse should climb stairs like human beings or dogs, borders on cruelty towards that
animal.
* A horse, even a miniature horse, requires a special means of transport
(such as a truck, a van or a trailer). They can not be taken along in a car like a dog.
*
Please notice that miniature horses aren’t allowed to use public transport in
Germany. Not only are miniature horses not permitted, but also their size and their
anatomical structure would not allow them to fit on public transport. There are no
problems however with a guide dog.
*
The same is true for permission to enter into restaurants and other businesses that
produce or sell food. Horses are not permitted.
*
The excrement of a miniature horse is about 10 - 20 times as much in size and quantity as
that of a Labrador Retriever or German Shepherd dog. Think of how you dispose of this
excrement if you are in a public place or even at your home.
*
In my opinion, the only advantage that a miniature horse has over a dog is that horses are
expected to have a longer lifespan. In my mind this advantage weighs only a very little
compared to the considerable disadvantages listed above.
In my opinion, and from my experience, I can say that a guide horse is no alternative to a
guide dog!!
*Article translated and published with permission of Mr. Wolfgang
Seitle*
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